Shloka 18
कर्णस्य सेनापत्याभिषेकः | Karṇa’s Consecration as Commander-in-Chief
Devanagari script
वृकोदरसमो युद्धे वृतः कैकेययोधिभि:
Transliteration
vṛkodarasamo yuddhe vṛtaḥ kaikeyayodhibhiḥ
Translation
സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഘോരസമരത്തിൽ വൃകോദരൻ (ഭീമൻ) തുല്യനായ ഒരു വീരൻ കൈകേയ യോദ്ധാക്കളാൽ ചുറ്റപ്പെട്ടുവന്നു.
Word by Word
वृकोदरसमःequal to Vṛkodara (Bhīma)
वृकोदरसमः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootवृकोदर-सम
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
युद्धेin battle
युद्धे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootयुद्ध
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
वृतःsurrounded/encircled
वृतः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootवृ (वरणे)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
कैकेययोधिभिःby the Kaikeya warriors
कैकेययोधिभिः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootकैकेय-योधि
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
V
Vṛkodara (Bhīma)K
Kaikeya warriorsCharacter Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in practice: true valor is shown not merely in strength but in steadiness when outnumbered, where duty and resolve are tested amid danger.
Sañjaya reports a battlefield moment in which a fighter comparable to Bhīma (Vṛkodara) is encircled by Kaikeya warriors, indicating a concentrated assault and a tense turning point in the combat.